Flores is not in the Pirates' starting lineup against the Angels on Friday.
Flores will get a breather after going 2-for-31 with one home run, three RBI and a 2:8 BB:K over his last six games. Henry Davis will start behind home plate and bat ninth while forming a battery with Jared Jones.
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Pirates' Rafael Flores: Pops three-run homer
Rotowire
Flores went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run Saturday against the Cardinals.
Flores gave the Pirates some breathing room when he went yard in the fifth inning of Saturday's win. He's been in roughly a 50-50 split for playing time behind the plate with Henry Davis over the last three weeks, while also picking up a handful of starts at first base. Flores has shown a boom-or-bust profile in that span, tallying six home runs with 15 RBI and nine runs scored across 15 games while also striking out at a 36.4 percent clip.
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Pirates' Rafael Flores: Hitting bench after six straight starts
Rotowire
Flores is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Tigers.
Flores will hit the bench after he started in each of the last six games -- three at catcher, three at first base -- while going 8-for-21 with three home runs, one double, two walks, eight RBI and six runs. He should continue to see regular reps at first base against left-handed pitching as part of a platoon with the left-handed-hitting Spencer Horwitz, and Flores has performed well enough lately to earn more playing time behind the plate at the expense of Henry Davis, who has generated a lowly .426 OPS since the All-Star break.
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Pirates' Rafael Flores: Earning fourth straight start
Rotowire
Flores will start at first base and bat fifth in Sunday's game against the Red Sox.
Flores will draw his fourth consecutive start, two against right-handed pitchers and two versus lefties. With Spencer Horwitz occupying the strong side of a platoon at first base, Flores' main path to playing time will come behind the plate, where he could challenge Henry Davis for starts while Endy Rodriguez (hip) is on the shelf. Since coming off the injured list Aug. 1, Flores has done his part to earn more opportunities by going 7-for-22 with three home runs, two walks, eight RBI and three runs in seven games.
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Pirates' Rafael Flores: Lands on concussion injured list
Rotowire
The Pirates placed Flores on the 7-day concussion injured list Friday.
It's unclear when Flores suffered the concussion, but he will be sidelined for at least the next week. With Endy Rodriguez (glute) starting a rehab assignment Friday, Flores is likely to be optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis once healthy.
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Pirates' Rafael Flores: Collects hit in return to majors
Rotowire
Flores went 1-for-4 on Thursday against Atlanta.
He was recalled Wednesday with Endy Rodriguez (lower body) on the injured list. Thursday marked Flores' third big-league game of the season and his second start, though he could have the chance to play a relatively even split with Henry Davis so long as Rodriguez is sidelined.
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Pirates' Rafael Flores: Sent back to Indy
Rotowire
The Pirates optioned Flores to Triple-A Indianapolis on Saturday, Danny Demilio of PittsburghBaseballNow.com reports.
Flores went 2-for-5 and notched his first MLB home run during his brief run with the Pirates, but he'll head back to Triple-A now that Henry Davis has returned from paternity leave. Flores could return to Pittsburgh later in the season if the big club's catcher depth is tested again, though most of his time will likely be spent in the minors.
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Pirates' Rafael Flores: Clubs first career homer
Rotowire
Flores went 2-for-3 with a solo home run, a double, a second RBI and a walk in Thursday's 8-6 loss to the Dodgers.
Flores got the start behind the plate as the Pirates deal with a bit of a crisis at catcher. Endy Rodriguez (hip) was banged up from Wednesday's game, while Henry Davis (paternity) and Joey Bart (foot) were both unavailable. This was just the ninth game of Flores' big-league career, and he delivered a homer in the fifth inning to get Pittsburgh on the board. His stay in the majors is likely to be short, but he could get another game or two before heading back to Triple-A Indianapolis.
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Pirates' Rafael Flores: Moves up to big leagues
Rotowire
The Pirates recalled Flores from Triple-A Indianapolis on Wednesday, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Flores will likely be in line for a short-term stay with the Bucs during his first stint in the big leagues this season, as he's slated to provide Pittsburgh with another option at catcher behind Endy Rodriguez while Henry Davis (personal) is on the paternity list. While splitting time between catcher and first base at Triple-A this season, Flores has slashed .207/.320/.324 with four home runs in 53 games.
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Pirates' Rafael Flores: Optioned to minors
Rotowire
The Pirates optioned Flores to Triple-A Indianapolis on Sunday.
The 25-year-old struggled this spring, going 2-for-25 with 10 strikeouts and six walks in 14 games. Flores made his MLB debut with seven appearances for Pittsburgh last year and could rejoin the big club in 2026 if depth at first base or catcher is needed.
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Pirates' Rafael Flores: Making MLB debut at first base
Rotowire
Flores will start at first base and bat eighth in Wednesday's game versus the Cubs.
Flores was summoned from Triple-A Indianapolis on Tuesday and will make his major-league debut Wednesday. The Pirates started Henry Davis at catcher Tuesday and are going with Joey Bart behind the plate Wednesday, so the team may not intend to give Flores extended run behind the plate down the stretch. He will, however, get his feet wet at first base, filling in for a resting Spencer Horwitz.
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Pirates' Rafael Flores: Summoned to big leagues
Rotowire
The Pirates selected Flores' contract from Triple-A Indianapolis on Tuesday, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Acquired from the Yankees on July 31, Flores has slashed .280/.354/.470 with 22 home runs and six stolen bases over 133 games between the Double- and Triple-A levels this season. The 24-year-old has primarily been used at catcher but also has plenty of experience playing first base. With Henry Davis and Joey Bart both having disappointed this season, the Pirates could give Flores a look behind the plate down the stretch.
